


Rented Bleach

by Mina_Kye



Category: Bleach
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/F, F/M, Het, M/M, Romance, Yaoi, Yuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-14
Updated: 2013-05-14
Packaged: 2017-12-11 21:25:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/803418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mina_Kye/pseuds/Mina_Kye





	1. Rent

" _December 24_ _th_ _, 1989… 9 p.m. eastern standard time… From here on in I shoot without a script… See if anything comes of it, instead of my old shit…"_

Urahara as usual was out in his bike with his old time video camera videotaping how the homeless were around. Sleeping on the streets, washing car windows, almost getting run over by the drivers of various cars… to him it was a cruel fact of how life was there. He wished to help all of the homeless in some way, shape, or form. But he had no way of doing that by himself.

He sighed while his brows furrowed with a frown, watching how a homeless man was cleaning a young man's windshield. The guy was bundled up to fight off the winter chill. But he still shivered while wiping the window. His dirt and oil stained rag was waving in the breeze while his hand shaking erratically. When the young man started to yell at the homeless man to get away from his car the man simply ignored him or he didn't hear him, Urahara didn't actually know which, but he watched as the man was about to get run over by the man in the vehicle when he suddenly slammed on the gas to turn and make the homeless person spin and turn away from how the car moved so he wouldn't get hit. How could some people do things like this to other human beings who were less fortunate and were, basically, treated like the trash they ate and slept on?

 _How Do You Document Real Life_  
When Real Life's Getting More  
Like Fiction Each Day

_Headlines - Bread-Lines  
Blow My Mind_

_And Now This Deadline_  
"Eviction - Or Pay"  
Rent

Deciding it was time to go back to his apartment and figure out his next shot and his current  _rent_ problem with Byakuya and Ikkaku. He steered his bike to pedal on the street. How the hell were they going to fight this eviction notice? But it wasn't just them… Oh, no… It was everyone on their block who couldn't pay their  _rent_  because it was either too high to pay or they simply didn't have the money at all. Turning off into an ally way with homeless standing near gabage can with fires in them to keep them from freezing to death; he shot through carefully avoiding everyone.

Ikkaku was the only one working that lived with them. His pay was usually enough but of course the rent went up and his pay stayed the same. Since he was a college professor who boarded there and came home for breaks they could never make up the difference because it got higher and they late fees stacked up on top of that.

Urahara steered to get on the sidewalk. He noticed the apartment complex doors had that damned eviction notice on it. "Dammit…" The blonde muttered. How can this not be harassment for everyone on this block? He seriously wondered if the owner of this complex was trying to piss everyone off here. Picking up his bike and ripping to sheet from the doors he shoved it in his pocket and opened the door, letting it slam behind him and he made his way up the stairs.

* * *

_How do you write a song when the chords sound wrong_

_Though they once sounded right and rare?_

_When the notes are sour_

_Where is the power you once had to ignite the air?_

Byakuya was sitting on the metal table with his guitar trying to tune it and play when the power suddenly went out. His brows furrowing but his face expressionless, he hopped off the table and set the guitar on the nearby couch. "The hell?" He muttered under his breath and walked over to the power box. Opening the door to the small metal box, his eyes squinted trying to adjust to the darkness with only the moonlight casting down it light through the window in the hall. He pressed a switch to see if that would work. But no luck, all it did was make it spark and Byakuya stepped back. "Damn…"

_We're hungry and frozen,_

_some life that we've chosen_

_How we gonna pay?_

_How we gonna pay?_

_How we gonna pay?_

_Last year's rent?_ __  
  
The door slid open and Urahara walked in. He set his bike down near a table and walked over to the man near the fuse box. He stayed silent and just pulled the paper from his coat pocket and held it out for the raven head to see. His cool grey eyes looking from the paper being held out and the blonde's eyes he sighed and took the paper. He read it over and his frown deepened. _Shit…_ He thought to himself.

The phone then rang and Urahara hopped to."Hello?" He said.

" _Hey, guess whose back in town!"_ Ikkaku called into the receiver with obvious joy in his voice. "It's Ikkaku, man. Throw down the keys so I can get in."

Hanging up the pay phone he stood to where the window was to the shared apartment. When Urahara came out onto the balcony, he threw the keys down. "Hey!" He greeted and ran back in the freezing apartment.

Ikkaku dropped the keys briefly and adjusted his pack before bending down to pick them up. He sighed and smiled and started walking over to the door to the complex.

"Hey, ya got a light man?" A strange man asked. He had long hair and a beard. He had a cigarette in one hand and the other lay lazily at his side.

"Yeah…" The bald man replied and started reaching into his pocket when all of sudden he was surrounded by three guys.

One shoved him in the side but Ikkaku suddenly knew what was going down. He was about to be mugged if he didn't do something about it. He punched one guy in the chest and shoved the other two away and ran for it. Granted, that was something he usually would not do. He would usually fight. But he was in no shape to be fighting out in the open where others could join in. He ran into the alley behind the building and didn't stop until his tripped over a bottle and fell down. He lay on top of his pack trying to protect it. He had just spent a good amount of money on stuff for the guys. The three men hollered and cheered as they kicked and punched him. They yanked his coat off of his shoulders and arms then took his bag and ran off.

"Damn…" He muttered.

* * *

_How do you start a fire when there's nothing to burn_

_And it feels like something's stuck in your flue?_

_How can you generate heat when you can't feel your feet?_

_And they're turning blue_

Back in the apartment, Byakuya gave up on the fuse box and lit some candles they had. It was better than nothing he figured. He set about thirty or so candles around the room and went over to each one with a match. After all the candles were lit his grabbed the trash can and set it in the middle of the room. Urahara took a bunch of papers and threw them to the floor next to the can, while still holding a stack in his hand. They both looked up to the ceiling then at each other. Hopping up to yank the plastic from the ceiling, since there was a huge hole there, Byakuya pulled it out of the way so that wouldn't be set on fire.

_You light up a mean blaze_

_With posters and screenplays_

_How we gonna pay?_

_How we gonna pay?_

_How we gonna pay?_

_Last year's rent?_

Going back over to where Urahara was in front of the can, Byakuya pulled a poster off the wall as the blonde lit the screenplays he had written on fire. The raven haired man leaned the poster close to the fire and set it and then dropped it into the can. They both were thinking the same thing as they looked up from the fire briefly.  _"How are we going to pay the rent?"_

* * *

_How do you stay on your feet when on every street?_

_It's trick or treat and tonight it's trick_

_Welcome back to town I should lie down_

_Everything's brown and uh-oh, I feel sick_

Coughing up blood from his mouth, Ikkaku tried to get up. He managed to stand up against the wall but then everything went hazy and he fell back down to the cold hard ground. He held his midsection as he felt a wave of nausea come about.

"Ugh…" He groaned.

* * *

_Where is he?_

_Getting dizzy_

_How we gonna pay?_

_How we gonna pay?_

_How we gonna pay?_

_Last year's rent?_

Running out onto the balcony, the blonde cameraman looked around and down to the street below. It had been fifteen minutes since he threw the keys down to Ikkaku.  _"Where is he?"_  He wondered. The raven head joined him soon after. "Ikkaku is sure taking a long time." He said. Urahara nodded in agreement, concern was clearly evident in his expression and voice. "I wonder where he is." It was unlike Ikkaku to not come inside by now.

Looking around more, he noticed people out on their balconies and the stairs outside of the building and lighting their eviction notices on fire then letting them go to fly in the air. They all were chanting  _"How are we gonna pay rent? We aren't gonna pay our rent!"_

* * *

Walking back inside the apartment, the blonde and raven head each took some of the paper stacked on the floor next to the can of fire.

_The music ignites the night with passionate fire_

_The narration crackles and pops with incendiary wit_

_Zoom in as they burn the past to the ground_

_And feel the heat of the future's glow_

Byakuya scanned the pages to see what they were. Just a bunch of old songs he had written and knows them all by heart. He threw them in the fire and then picked up some more while the blonde took his screenplays and some scenes he had written and through them in there too. They through anything they could throw in the can to build the fire bigger and warming up the room quickly. Once it was hot enough they each grabbed the can by a handle. Lifting and carrying it to where the balcony door was.

_How do you leave the past behind_

_When it keeps finding ways to get to your heart?_

_It reaches way down deep and tears you inside out_

_'Til you're torn apart, rent_

Stepping outside they both grasped the bottom while still holding the handles and tipped it over the rail letting the contents fall and drift out until it was empty. The lit paper and fire floated in the air and softly landed on the cold ground still burning as a Range Rover drove up.

_How can you connect in an age_

_Where strangers, landlords, lovers_

_Your own blood cells betray?_

_What binds the fabric together_

_When the raging, shifting winds of change_

_Keep ripping away_

Stepping out of his car, Aizen looked up to the blonde and the raven looking down.

_Draw a line in the sand and then make a stand_

_Use your camera to spar, use your guitar_

_When they act tough, you call they're bluff_

Byakuya glared at him with iciness in his eyes. "What are  _you_  doing here Sosuke!" He called down to his  _former_ friend while grasping the rail. The man didn't answer since he was currently getting yelled and screamed at the angry owners of the residents' of the building he owned along with his father in law. He winced slightly as his ears rang from the chanting and the screaming.

_We're not gonna pay,_

_we're not gonna pay_

_We're not gonna pay,_

_last year's rent~_

_This year's rent~_

_next year's rent~_

_"I came to collect the rent!"_  He shouted back. He then noticed a guy had parked his butt on top the hood of his car and Aizen raised a brow. "Yo, get your ass off of my car!" He called to the man who had lit a cigarette. The man smirked and stood after winking at the brown eyed man he hopped off the car and walked away.

" _Hey Sosuke! That kind of attitude towards the homeless is exactly what Yoruichi is protesting!"_  Urahara shouted down.

Sosuke's frown deepened and he raised a brow. "What she is protesting is losing her space to perform! Not my attitude!" He said and walked over to the car door once everyone dispersed around his car. "Come down here. I want to talk to you both." He said and got in his car to move it along the curb.

Byakuya still glared down to the man and then softened his gaze as he turned and watched his housemate walk back in the apartment with the trash can. People were still chanting along down the road. He sighed and grasped the rail with his slender cold hand. Looking down to the balcony below he saw a man with long red hair sitting on the rail, smiling up at him. Byakuya's brow furrowed but he stared down at him a moment longer before going back inside and then heading down to where Aizen waited for him and Urahara. The man smirked and went inside his own apartment.

_Rent, rent, rent, rent, rent_

_We're not gonna pay rent_

_'Cause everything is_ _**rent** _


	2. You'll See the Guardian Angel

Aizen stepped out of his car, walking to the sidewalk to where his former friends were standing. Byakuya glared at him with iciness in his cool grey eyes that didn't look like was going to let up anytime soon. He leaned against the car with his arms crossed, watching as Urahara took out his camera and started muttering as he taped the building owner who stared at posters of woman who was going to put on a show in a few days for the homeless.

The brown haired man looked to the glaring raven head. "Ah Byakuya, you're looking well for someone who was going through a hard time since our last encounter."

Byakuya wasn't going to be bought with the thought that the building owner was actually concerned for his well being. He turned his head away for a moment to the moon shining above them before shifting his gaze back.  _"What do you want, Sosuke?"_ He asked coldly.

"Like I said before, I came here for the rent everyone owes me." Aizen replied while pulling a few posters down.

Urahara then stopped his camera.  _"What rent?"_  He asked curiously.

"What do you mean "what rent?"?" The building owner muttered. "This past year's rent, of course."

Urahara raised a brow. "You said we didn't have to pay rent when you bought the building."

"Don't you remember you used to live here as well?" Byakuya added.

Aizen nodded. "Of course I remember. How could I forget?" He said. "You, me, Ikkaku…and Yoruichi… how is she?" he asked and pulling down more of the fliers from the wall. Byakuya said nothing but watched the others with icy cool grey eyes.

"She's fine and getting ready for her performance." Urahara answered quietly and clutched the camera strap with the camera gently in his arms.

"I see, so are you still her production manager?"

The blonde pursed his lips slightly before he spoke. "Not exactly..." He looked to the songwriter next to him. Their eyes connected for a moment before both looked to the other man again.

"Are you still in a relationship with her?" Aizen asked still looking at the countless posters down the wall.

The blonde cameraman sighed. "She left me." He said in a slightly annoyed tone.

Aizen turned then while crumpling up the paper in his hands more. "Is she seeing another man?"

" _Well…no."_  The cameraman replied reluctantly.

Raising a brow, he didn't really believe the blonde's words. "What is his name, Kisuke?"

Byakuya and Kisuke both spoke that time. "Soi Fong." They said in unison then looked at each other again.

The building owner quirked a brow out of confusion before his lips curved upward into an amused smile before chuckling.

Not amused by the man in front, Urahara just sighed once more. He figured he should just let the man get his laugh and leave it at that.

Byakuya saw this and he closed his eyes for a moment. "You should not expect sympathy from the man who turned off our power on Christmas Eve." He told his roommate.

The building owner sobered some then. "It must certainly have gotten your attention."

Byakuya opened his eyes and walked towards the other with his arms still crossed. "What happened to you?" He asked looking into the brown eyes. "Have you been so blinded by money that you don't have the slightest care for anything else?" He was certain this wasn't the man who he had known a few years ago. The man used to be generous and caring. He was not self-centered and only cared about money or his own well being. But ever since he had married, he had become a different person.

"I have the right to do what I wish with the lot next door." Aizen commented suddenly.

Byakuya turned away from the brown haired man and put his hands in the pocket of his old wool coat. He should have known that Aizen would say something like that.

Throwing the crumbled up ball of paper at the raven head, as Byakuya turned back around, while Aizen spoke to the two. "What of the rent?"

"As if you haven't noticed," The raven haired man said dryly while catching the paper. "I may point out that we are broke." It wasn't a question; it was a fact that was known to all three of them.

"Don't waste your breath or time by breaking your word, Sosuke." The cameraman said dully.

"This is absurd." Byakuya hissed as he put the ball onto the hood of the car then stuffing his hands in his pockets again. "I refuse to stand here a listen to this any longer." He began to walk back to the building's main door only to be stopped by Aizen's next words.

"There is one way that you can stay here…with no charge."

Byakuya blinked slowly and sighed before turning his head to look over his shoulder. "I thought you might say so."

"What?" Urahara asked skeptically.

"Convince Yoruichi to cancel her protest performance." Aizen answered.

"Ha…" Urahara huffed in a half chuckle.

"I think not, you would have much more luck having the authorities getting involved." The raven haired man commented from the beginning of the concrete stairs.

"I have already called them and they are on standby." He replied and looked away to see other posters around the area. "But my investor would rather I handle this in a quiet manner."

Turning fully around Byakuya glared hard at the man then walked back so he was standing right in front of him. "You cannot quietly wipeout an entire lot full of homeless then go to  _your home_  and say everything is absolutely fine. It does not work that way." He insisted.

"Don't you remember our dream of a studio, a place where you could write your songs and for Kisuke to produce his films? You might think twice before you throw my offer away." Aizen remarked.

The raven haired songwriter shook his head and backed away from the other man with iciness still in his eyes. Neither of them said anything for the longest time.

Aizen sighed, deciding to break the silence. "You'll see that I'm correct."

The other two said nothing. Bykuya turned his body completely around and walked back to the main down and grasped the handle.

"If you do this then we'll be able to build the studio, work, and get paid. Then you wouldn't have to worry about money." The building owner added coolly.

Byakuya narrowed his eyes and turned his head to look directly into his former friend's eyes. "But what of the many lives that have built somewhat of a home there? That would be wrong of us to push them out just to see that this…  _dream_ comes to be. Go find someone else to do your bidding." With that said he pulled the door open and went inside letting the door slam behind him.

Urahara clutched his camera strap tighter in his hands as he breathed in deeply, his green-grey eyes looking into the distance for a moment before looking into the other man's brown eyes.

"Are you also going to let Yoruichi do what she wants? Or are you going to be different and do what you feel you need to do to keep your home?" Aizen asked.

Urahara tilted his head to the side and let a smirk come to play along his features. "I'm going to do what I feel is the right thing to do." He replied vaguely.

"Which is?"

The blonde turned to the main door, not saying anything. He grasped the handle of the door. The brown haired man narrowed his eyes at the other. "You'll either see to my offer or you will pack and leave."

The blonde shrugged slightly before pulling the door open walking in the building leaving the other out in the cold.

He hadn't realized he was holding his breath and let it out with heavy sigh. He was startled once he saw a shadow next to him and didn't see his housemate until he spoke. "So what shall we do now?" Byakuya was leaning against the wall with his hands still in his pockets. His pale green scarf wrapped around his pale throat loosely with his eyes closed.

"I'm not sure about the rent. But I'm not going to have Yoruichi cancel her show just for him just for our place." Urahara replied quietly, he looked out the window of the door and saw Aizen drive away down the street.

"Shall we start packing then?" Byakuya asked while opening one grey eye.

The blonde looked back to the songwriter and shook his head. "No, we'll figure out some way to pay our rent." He declared.

"Very well," The raven head said then softly pushed off of the wall with his back and started to climb the stairs. "But don't ask me to ask for the money from my grandfather. He may own his own firm and be wealthy but I left that house long ago and I'm not going back nor am I going to ask anything from him."

"I know, Byakuya, I know. I won't have you asking him for money. We'll figure things out." The cameraman told him.

Byakuya nodded and continued up the stairs with his housemate a few steps behind him. They were silent on the way up and as they got in. Urahara took his camera and switched out the film and looked at some other things. Byakuya took a seat on the couch and picked up his guitar softly playing the melodies in his head.

* * *

Ikkaku was in the alley still, holding his midsection and wiping the blood from his mouth and nose onto his sleeve. His body ached from the beating he took. "Ahh, dammit…" He muttered before coughing up more blood. He heard someone walking down the alley. His brows furrowed and he frowned.

"What an unbeautiful sight." The man walking towards him said. "Hey, are you okay?" The man asked and handing him a cloth as he crouched down next to the professor.

Ikkaku just stared at the person before him. The young man had medium length black hair with a braid on the right side and large violet eyes. He was certainly a beautiful young man and obviously bit of a girly one. The bald man chuckled inwardly at the thought. "I'm fine." He answered quietly and refused the white cloth. "I'm fine…" He repeated and wiped his mouth again gently also refusing to look at the other man directly in the eyes.

The man looked back down the alley for minute then turned back to the bald bleeding man. "I'm Yumichika."

Ikkaku nodded and shifted his eyes to the other. "I'm Ikkaku…Madarame." The bald man replied.

Yumichika smiled sympathetically at the man before him. "Come on, we should get you cleaned up." He straightened his back pack before taking Ikkaku's arm.

"Ack…" The bald man winced in pain while they both stood up. His body aching and his nose and mouth were still bleeding.

Yumichika offered the cloth again and this time Ikkaku accepted it and held it to his nose. "Thanks." He mumbled behind the cloth.

"We'll sort of have to hurry though. I have to go to a life support meeting later." Yumichika told the bald man and nodding.

Ikkaku raised a brow. "Life support?"

"Yeah, for people with AIDS and problems similar to that…" He mumbled with a faint blush. "Like me…"

The professor turned his head to the other and nodded. "Me too."

The brunette's blush faded slightly as he smiled. "Would you like to come?"

Ikkaku grinned behind the cloth. "Sure."

They walked, or in Ikkaku's case,  _limped,_ down the street for a few blocks to another apartment building. It was equally run down as Ikkaku's but it also seemed just as sturdy and had power surprisingly. He noticed that his complex didn't and he knew how Aizen was so it wasn't going to be on until the morning.

The black haired man led the other into the door behind him and up the stairs to his apartment. The professor looked around and he was impressed that the place looked neat and clean. He also noticed the sewing machine and then a set of drums to the side. It seemed old and something that needed to be repaired quite a bit.

Yumichika noticed that the other was looking around and saw the impressed look in his eye. He smirked and set his pack down on the floor. "Follow me." He told the man and led the way down the hall to the bathroom. When they walked in he turned on the shower and grabbed a towel. "Take your clothes off. I'll go put them in the wash while you shower and get yourself cleaned up."

"You don—" Ikkaku was interrupted by the other.

"You're clothes are bloody and damp from sweat." The brunette said firmly. "Take them off so I can clean them." Yumichika ordered softly but more firmly while crossing his arms over his chest.

The bald man just nodded and started to strip his aching body. Yumichika turned and adjusted the water temperature and made sure everything was easy to find and reach. "There's a seat in the corner if you want to sit down while you shower." He told the other then turned back to the other again, careful not to look lower while he finished undressing with an occasional wince. The brunette took his clothes and then walked out of the bathroom then turned his head to look at Ikkaku from the corner of his eye. "When you're done, we'll treat your injuries."

Ikkaku nodded again then after the door closed he stepped into the warm shower carefully. He carefully washed the blood away from his face and rinsed his mouth out. He watched the redness go down the drain. He shook his head as he sat down carefully on the seat, letting the warm water spray down on his aching back.

 _How can I be so weak? No…not weak, unlucky. I was unlucky tonight…again._ He thought to himself and winced when he reached for the soap again. He groaned quietly at the thought of seeming weak in front of a stranger.  _I should have just beaten the shit out of them before they beat the shit out of me. I wouldn't in this situation then and I wouldn't be in this guy's house._

He heard a soft knock on the door. "I have some food out here for when you get done." He called through the door.

"Thanks…" Ikkaku muttered and stood to rinse his body under the hot spray. After a few minutes he turned the shower off. "You know…you don't have to do any of this." He commented as he stepped out of the shower and dried off. He tied the towel around his waist before he opened the door to find his host leaning against the wall next to the door.

"Hmm.." The brunette hummed. "I'm sure if I left you there in that alley then you'd probably still be there in the morning since you were really in no shape to move by yourself. So I think it's better for  _you_ to just be happy I was there when I was." He grinned. He nodded for the other to follow him.

The bald man didn't say anything, but he did scowl at Yumichika when he turned around. He walked slowly, following the other to the main room.

"Sit on the sofa and eat." The brunette ordered gently. "I'll put your clothes in the dryer and then get some things to treat your injuries. When the professor nodded and sat down is when the brunette disappeared into another room and several minutes later reappeared with rubbing alcohol and cotton pads. By then the bald man was done with his food. "Well, that was fast." Yumichika commented and sat down next to the other, setting his findings on the table in front of them.

Ikkaku licked his lips to moisten them and found that he had cuts on them. He could taste a tang of blood on the cuts. "Why are you helping me?" He asked.

The brunette chuckled and unscrewed the cap of the alcohol bottle. "I'm helping you because it's the right thing to do. Besides you were not looking so beautiful on the pavement back there." He took a pad and tipped the bottle on it for a quick second then turned to the bald man. "This will sting." He commented then cleaned the spot under Ikkaku's nose carefully. He took another pad and did the same with Ikkaku's lips.

The bald man winced slightly as his injuries were cleaned. He was surprised when Yumichika was looking at the bruises on his stomach and took more pads and wiped the alcohol on them. His violet eyes trailed up to Ikkaku's confused black ones. "This will take the sting out of them and make the color go away faster." He explained to his confused guest.

"Oh…" The professor mumbled.

"Did the ones that did this to you get anything?" The brunette asked quietly. When he was finished he set the pads in a pile and capped the alcohol.

The bald man sighed. "Well, I didn't have much but I had gifts for my roommates. One's a songwriter and the other is sort of like a cameraman. I bought some things for them to use and I had some of my clothes."

The brunette nodded his understanding. "I see, so you have others waiting for you."

Ikkaku nodded. "Yeah, I should probably check in soon."

Yumichika shook his head. "They should be fine. You need your rest, get some and I'll wake you in a few hours then you can go home."

The bald man nodded knowing that it was useless to argue now and that he did need rest. He laid down on the couch after Yumichika stood and draped a blanket over him. He closed his eyes and soon when Yumichika was done he disappeared into the same room he had gone in before he surrendered to sleep.

Yumichika watched the bald man sleep soundly for a few minutes when he came back with Ikkaku's dry clothes. He folded them and set them on the table. His lips curved upwards into a soft smile at the sight of the peaceful look on the bald man's face as he slept. That sight was certainly beautiful and he wouldn't mind seeing it again.


	3. Light

Byakuya found himself on the roof of the apartment complex with his guitar strumming it lightly. Kisuke had gone out to look for their still missing roommate while the songwriter had decided to stay behind and keep to his own. He had been doing that a lot lately…sitting at home in their now freezing apartment where he would either sit on the couch or more preferably on the metal table they had bought from a pawn shop. But he needed some air.

He sat on a chair they kept up on the roof; the evening breeze making his long black hair and pale green scarf flutter in the air as the wind gently blew past him. His eyes were closed while his hands busied themselves on the guitar, strumming and fingering. His dark black wool coat helping him fights off the chill of the winter with his mind totally consumed by the notes he was playing. His brow twitched downward once he hit a sour note making him play it again to see if he could fix it. He did it a few times before sighing and let his arms fold over the instrument in his lap.

He would need new strings soon; these ones were over a year old. His head came to rest on top of his hands as he looked out to the distance, thinking. He thought about his ex-wife, Hisana. Her gentleness in personality and calming words she always used with him. He could have used that now. But he knew he couldn't contact the small fragile woman now. She was his cousin's wife now…and Byakuya had no one to blame that on but himself for his foolish behavior in his youth.

When he was young he had his band and then the Kuchiki law firm. He was excellent at keeping them in balance with the rest of his life…until one day when he met  _her_. That's when she turned his world upside down and then a few years later he found an old high school friend, Kisuke.

The songwriter's eyes misted with memory as he thought back. He could still see it so clearly.

_Hisana sitting at a table in a local club where a band were playing on stage, they were enjoying themselves there. Just like they did any other time they played, until cool grey eyes found a beautiful bright violet pair of orbs in the crowd. Byakuya thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever set eyes upon. Her eyes were a lovely violet, her hair a soft raven just as his was. Her skin was pale like his and her smile was warm and friendly._

_His features warmed considerably in her direction, a soft smile spreading across his face and his eyes losing a bit of their coldness. She also looked somewhat familiar to him too._

_He continued to play, never taking his eyes off of her except only when he needed to put away his guitar and get off the stage for the next group to play._

" _Excuse me," He heard a soft female voice behind him. He turned his head after locking his case. "Yes?" He answered whilst standing._

_She smiled warmly. "You play very well and your group…they are also wonderful performers."_

" _Thank you," The songwriter replied as he returned her smile. "Forgive me, but…you look familiar. Have you been here before?"_

_Hisana continued to smile warmly as she nodded. "Your grandfather and my father work together and…I come here often since I work here."_

_Byakuya failed to not show that he was genuinely surprised by her response. His large grey eyes went wide as he started to back pedal. "Oh, my apologies for not—"_

" _It is not a problem Mr. Kuchiki. I don't speak often nor do I make it known of my presence." She cut him off but still kindly smiling and flushed a little._

" _Please…call me Byakuya."_

The songwriter sighed again as he was pulled from his memories by loud sirens pulling into a nearby corner.  _Why did I have to be so…so stupid then?_ He thought frowning and setting the instrument down. He stood and walked over to the ledge to peer over it into the distance. His mind went hazy again as he thought about the past when he and his ex-wife were married.

" _Where were you Byakuya?" Hisana asked with an edge of concern in her voice._

_Setting his guitar down near the door, Byakuya replied: "We were just working on another piece for a while. Do not worry, I am fine."_

_The violet eyed woman frowned. "That is all you do besides work at the office. You work on your music…or you're out drinking with your band."_

_As Byakuya stood straight he sighed and looked at his beloved. "I said I was fine and you shouldn't worry, so don't." He pulled off his jacket and loosened his tie and set them on a nearby chair._

_Hisana just looked away out of the window of the manor and continued to frown. She knew he was only doing what he loved and the only thing that kept him sane anymore. The Kuchiki's were very stubborn and cold people. Her husband couldn't stand it either, that's why he worked so hard to keep his family together by going into the family firm but also playing music that he wanted._

_She was pulled from her thoughts as a small child tugged on her sleeve. She looked down to the small girl with the same raven colored hair and bright violet like her own._

" _Sister?" The girl said wide-eyed._

_Hisana smiled patiently and bent down to the girl's height. "What is it Rukia?"_

" _Are you and brother-Byakuya alright?" She asked curiously._

_Hisana nodded and smiled. "We're fine." She replied softly. "Now, do you want to help me in the kitchen or do you want to help Byakuya in the dining room?"_

_Rukia thought about it for a moment before she looked confused. "Can't I do both?"_

_Byakuya walked over to them and smiled softly. "If you wish it we can all cook and then set the table." He suggested, kneeling beside his wife._

" _Okay," Rukia smiled and scampered off the kitchen._

Blinking a few times before he came out of his thoughts again by a gust of wind blowing past him, he thought it was a good time to head back in. He was getting a bit too cold and at least the apartment had some heat in it. He sighed and shoved one of his hands in his pocket and grasped his guitar as he walked by the chair again. He walked to where the door was, grasped the handle and pulled it open, letting it close behind him as he walked down the stairs.

" _Y-you're leaving me?" Byakuya asked breathlessly. His eyes were wide and his hand frozen with his pen against the paper._

_Violet orbs looked into shocked ones sadly. "I am sorry Byakuya but I cannot sit here any longer and watch you do nothing but work and drink. Rukia doesn't need it either…your cousin and I have been talking a lot and we wish to be together."_

_The songwriter closed his eyes against the words and the ache in his chest. "If you wish that then…it is only right you listen to your heart."_

" _I am so sorry Byakuya…I will allow you to visit Rukia when you wish to but—"_

" _Please…" He said, cutting her off. "Just do as you wish." He stood and walked in the house._

Byakuya sighed once he was in his still freezing apartment. It was still warmer than the outside though so it was better. Perhaps Aizen would turn the power back on tomorrow.

He set his guitar on the metal table then went to go sit until he heard a knock. His brow furrowed as he walked to the door and opened it and expecting to find his roommates but instead found the large muscular tanned and tattooed man from the apartment below. He was smiling and leaning against the doorframe.

"Hi," The red-haired man greeted.

Byakuya's head tilted to the side with a slightly confused gaze and a small nod. "Evening,"

The redhead's lips lifted his smile into a wry smirk as he presented a battery powered heater in his calloused hands. "I thought we could share some heat."

The songwriter's eyes blinked slowly as he shifted his eyes to the medium sized box-like portable heating device. "Thank you, but it isn't nec…" He trailed of seeing a soft shiver pass through the other man. "You're shivering…" He commented.

The redhead shifted his leather coat a bit with one hand so it would hug around him more tightly. "Ah, It's fine," He assured the raven-head. "they just turned off my heat…same as you."

Byakuya bit his lips softly, contemplating whether or not to let the young tattooed man in. He hadn't talked to anyone else inside or outside the building since a little over a year ago. He hadn't really been going out much and it wasn't a necessity to talk to anyone since he kept to himself.

His dark eyes scanned the redhead. He had long crimson hair that was pulled back into a half ponytail letting the other half tumble down his shoulders and half way down his back. The dark black thick tattoos on his tanned skin of his forehead peeked out from beneath his bandana, as did the ones on his neck and chest from underneath his red shirt and black leather coat. He was tall, muscular, very handsome, and looked so young. He looked only to be in his early twenties.

Still biting his lips softly, Byakuya moved aside and let the other man in.

"Thanks," The redhead said, smiling. "My name is Renji, by the way, Renji Abarai." He walked over near the couch and bent down to set the heater on the dark wooden floor a few feet away and turned it on.

Byakuya closed the door and turned around only to have his eyes immediately set upon the jean clad ass that in his direct view as Renji set the proper temperature for the small apartment. He tilted his head slightly and stared at it for a moment, appreciating that it was nice looking…not that he would admit that out loud. Renji stood straight and turned around to face the other man, smirking. "Like what you see?" He asked.

The raven-head couldn't keep the faint tint of color off his cheeks. He cleared his throat softly unsure of what to say to the smirking redhead as he turned his head away.

 _What am I doing?_ Byakuya thought.  _I've only just met the man five minutes ago and I'm not even a homosexual…or even bisexual…_

Renji's smirk grew as he placed his cold hands in his pockets. "You alright?" He asked the songwriter a bit teasingly. "You seem a bit embarrassed…" He trailed off seeing the pinkish hue on the other's face and his smirk fell into an apologetic smile. "Hey I'm sorry; I'm just not used to people staring at me like that…"

It was true Renji really wasn't used to it. He worked at a nearby bar as the bartender. He never had guys or even girls look at him like that. Not that it was a bad thing, really. He actually missed being close to someone. His best friend wasn't allowed to see him much anymore because of her sister said that he was a bad influence.

He sighed and walked closer to the other man. "Are you going to tell me your name?" He asked quietly.

Byakuya turned his head back to Renji and nodded as he swallowed thickly. "Byakuya Kuchiki."

 _Kuchiki?_ Renji thought.  _Huh…this guy seems different from the others I know while I was hanging out with_ her.

"Nice to meet you," Renji said and smiled warmly in greeting.


	4. Dreamer

_He sighed and walked closer to the other man. "Are you going to tell me your name?" He asked quietly._

 

 

_Byakuya turned his head back to Renji and nodded as he swallowed thickly. "Byakuya Kuchiki."_

 

 

Kuchiki? _Renji thought._ Huh…this guy seems different from the others I know while I was hanging out with _her_.

 

 

_"Nice to meet you," Renji said and smiled warmly in greeting._

 

 

Byakuya nodded as he looked into the warm red-brown eyes. “My apologies about…before.” He said softly, his cheeks becoming a darker crimson and turned his face away again.

Renji pulled his hand out from his pocket and waved it in the air, lazily brushing it off. He smiled when Byakuya turned to look at him again. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” He said, returning his hand to the warm confines of his pocket.

The redhead looked around the large apartment again as he turned around once more. The apartment itself was large, had a few different rooms for bedrooms, a bathroom, and small area for a kitchen, and of course the main room. It wasn’t really all that different from his place except for the décor. “You have a nice place.” He commented.

“Thank you,” Byakuya replied, watching the other man.

 Renji’s eyes grew warmer once he set his eyes upon the guitar over yonder. He tilted his head to the side and stepped closer, bending down, to the black instrument. “You play?” He asked looking back to the raven-head. 

Byakuya nodded hesitantly. “Yes,”

“Oh, cool,” Renji replied appreciatively and turned to gaze at the guitar intently. “May I?” He asked quietly before he dared to grasp the neck of the guitar gently.

Nodding again, Byakuya walked over to where the stood and straightened and held the instrument.

Renji set the guitar gently in position and plucked the strings one by one for a few minutes. He closed his eyes to the sounds and furrowed his brows and made a few adjustments to tune it. As he did, memories flooded his mind about his youth and his smirk fell and his lips tightened then fell into a frown.

_“Will you play a song for me Renji?” His raven haired best friend asked._

 

 

_Renji nodded. “Sure,” He pulled his guitar out and tuned quickly and strummed lightly. The girl smiled and her violet eyes closed as she listened._

 

 

_“My bro—“ She frowned and opened her eyes, making Renji furrow his brows questioningly but continued to play. “I mean, my sister’s ex-husband used to play for me from time to time when I was young. It was beautiful…you remind me of then…” She said softly, looking down._

 

 

Renji blinked away the unusual memory and continued to pluck the strings. “I haven’t played in a while, but…” He trailed off as he began to play a tune he had heard once.

Byakuya stood silently for a moment listening to the redhead play and then a few seconds later start to sing.

 **** _Oh, nowhere left to go_  
Are we getting closer? Closer?  
No, all we know is "No"  
Nights are getting colder, colder

 

 

The raven-head tilted his head slightly, studying the man’s features in front of him more closely. He seemed more relaxed than a moment ago. His eyes were closed and his voice was soft but strong and he played well. The songwriter could tell that the redhead knew what he was doing.

Byakuya also recognized the song instantly since he had too, heard it. He couldn’t help but smile faintly and after a few moments Byakuya had started to softly join the redhead, singing along.

 **** _Everywhere we go we're looking for the sun_  
Nowhere to grow old, we're always on the run  
They say we'll rot in Hell, but I don't think we will  
They've branded us enough, "Outlaws of Love".

 

 

Hearing the other start to sing with him, made Renji blink in surprise but smile and continue. He stared at the dark haired man’s face, their eyes locking as they sang in perfect harmony.

 **** _Scars make us who we are_  
Hearts and homes are broken, broken  
Far, we could go so far  
With our minds wide open, open

 

 

Byakuya seemed calmer and had a more serene expression; his eyes closed a moment later. Renji’s smile grew also closed his eyes. Somehow they seemed, or more like their souls, to connect between the music and blended their voices; each pouring in the emotion into it.

 **** _Everywhere we go we're looking for the sun_  
Nowhere to grow old, we're always on the run  
They say we'll rot in Hell, but I don't think we will  
They've branded us enough, "Outlaws of Love".

 

 

Byakuya opened his eyes again which instantly connected with Renji’s upon his own eyes opening.

Renji slowed his hand on the guitar a bit as the song was beginning to end.   
  
 **** _Outlaws of Love  
Outlaws of Love  
Outlaws of Love_

 

 

Byakuya took a step closer to the larger man as they sang the last line as if singing it to each other slowly.   
 ** _Outlaws of Love_**

 

 

Cool grey and dark red-brown locked and they seemed to get lost in them. They stared for a time, not saying anything, and smiling softly.

Byakuya seemed to come out of the haze first but couldn’t tare his gaze from the exceedingly warm depthless eyes. They were just hypnotizing to him.

Renji sent the guitar on the couch and took a few steps toward the songwriter, still gazing intently in the beautiful cool grey eyes. He raised his hand to a pale cheek, gently caressing it with his thumb. “So beautiful…” He whispered, finally breaking the long silence. His thumb traced the faintly smiling pink lips. He leaned his head forward, wanting to taste them.

Byakuya blinked slowly as Renji brought his face closer to his own. He knew he should have really pushed the other away but he felt drawn to the exotic redhead. His eyes closed and once their lips barely touched the door opened. Byakuya pulled away suddenly and looked to the door.

A shocked Urahara blinked in surprise staring at the two. “Did I interrupt something?” He asked biting his lips—trying not to laugh.

 Renji rolled his eyes and muttered an apology before walking out to the door and into the hallway.

“Renji, wait!” Byakuya called. “What about your heater?”

“I’ll get it later,” Renji yelled back and walked down the stairs to his own apartment and shut the door behind him.

 _Damn…_ He thought, leaning against the wood.

~*~

Byakuya glared at the amused blonde. “I thought you were going to see if you could find Ikkaku.”

Urahara snickered which he received another death glare as a result. Lifting his hand to his mouth to cover it and muffle his laughter, the cameraman nodded. “I-I did and I c-couldn’t f-find him.”

Byakuya frowned and rolled his eyes whilst walking away. “Shut up Kisuke, or I’ll be forced to drop you from our balcony.” He said icily.

Not really caring that he was threatened, the blonde proceeded to laugh. “W-what the hell was that?” He asked finally stifling his snickers then cleared his throat.

“The man from the apartment below was kind enough to bring his heater here to warm our home.” The songwriter replied, gracefully dropping onto the couch after moving the guitar.

“That didn’t seem to be all that he warmed up.” Kisuke retorted.

“I believe I told you to shut up!” The raven-head hissed and crossed his arms.  _Ass…_

 

 

“Hey, I was only kidding.” Kisuke said, frowning.

Glaring once more, Byakuya turned his head to stare at the blonde. “I don’t  _care_  whether you were being humorous or not! Shut up!”

“Alright, sheesh!” 


End file.
